In an interview published Wednesday in
the Italian daily Corriere della Sera, Pope Francis suggested
that civil unions for gay couples might be acceptable to the Roman
Catholic Church.
“Matrimony is between a man and a
woman,” the pope told the paper's editor-in-chief, Ferrucio de
Bortoli. But moves to “regulate diverse situations of cohabitation
[are] driven by the need to regulate economic aspects among persons,
as for instance to assure medical care.”
“It is necessary to look at the
diverse cases and evaluate them in their variety,” the
pope said in response to being asked to what extent the church
could understand laws recognizing civil unions.
Italian lawmakers are currently
debating whether to legalize civil partnerships for gay couples.
A proposal to legalize civil
partnerships for gay couples is
supported by Italy's Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.
In 2010, then-Cardinal Jorge Mario
Bergoglio called on Argentina to legalize civil unions instead of
allowing gay couples to marry.
Last year, the pope criticized church
leaders for focusing on social issues, including the church's opposition to
marriage equality.